Archive - May 2001

Vigan's tourist potential is based on its cultural heritage composed of more than 180 ancestral houses, administrative and religious structures, public squares and other historical landmarks within the poblacion, and built during the 18th and 19th centuries. Being the only surviving colonial town in the entire Philippines, Vigan is being developed as a primary tourist destination in Region I.

Origin

In an effort to increase public awareness of Vigan as a unique historic town to be conserved and protected, the Save Vigan Ancestral Homes Association, Inc. (SVAHAI), a local non-government organization involved in the conservation of Vigan Heritage, initiated the 1st Viva Vigan Festival of the Arts in May 1993. The highlights of ancestral houses. With the help of members of print and broadcast media, as well as Manila-based proponents of conservation, the first festival was a success. Encouraging public response has made festival a yearly. It has also proven to be a stimulus for the local tourism industry. Over the past years, the Viva Vigan Festival has become one of the biggest cultural events in the North, attracting domestic and foreign visitors who come to Vigan on a pilgrimage to our heritage.

Viva Vigan is held every 1st week of May. It features a calesa parade, comedia, street dancing, ramada games, religious rituals, santacruzan, bankathon, exhibits, trade/food fairs and other exciting events.